Device for lading bombs and the like



Feb. 11, 1958 w. s. SPARROW DEVICE FOR LOADING BOMBS AND THE LIKE 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 20, 1.955

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w. s. SPARROW DEVICE FOR LbADING BOMBS AND THE LIKE Filed May 20, 1955 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb; 11, 1958 I w, s. SPARROW 2 DEVICE FOR LOADING BOMBSAND THE LIKE Filed May 20, 1955 4 Shet s-Shegt a hwwmtpr Feb. 11, 1958w. s. SPARROW DEVICE FOR LOADING BOMBS AND THE LIKE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4Filed May 20, 1955 United States I atent DEVICE FOR LOADING BOMBS ANDTHE LIKE Wilber Stanley Sparrow, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Application May20, 1955, Serial No. 509,770

Claims priority, application Canada April 19, 1955 4 Claims. (Cl. 214-1)This invention relates to a device for loading bombs or the like.

Previously known bomb loading devices, which have used a hydrauliccylinder acting .to upwardly bias an arm carrying means for supportingthe bomb, have been subject to the disadvantage that it has beennecessary to adjust the inclination of the means for supporting the bombafter the bomb has been raised. Thus, in my prior Canadian Patent505,425, dated August 31, 1954, a turnbuckle was used to adjust theinclination of the bomb. Furthermore, it was necessary eithercontinuously to adjust the angle of inclination of the bomb as it wasraised, or to fasten the bomb securely to the bomb supporting means sothat the bomb would not fall off the bomb supporting means as it wasraised.

Bombs are referred to above merely as examples of the type of articledealt with by the apparatus of the invention. The apparatus is alsoapplicable to loading similar articles to bombs such as rockets,torpedoes, guided missiles, other projectiles and weapons and similarlyshaped objects such as aircraft jet engines.

One object of this invention, in accordance with one aspect thereof, isto provide means for automatically retaining the bomb supporting meansat a constant angle of inclination to the horizontal while it is beingraised and lowered. As the bomb supporting means does not tilt as thebomb is being raised, the bomb does not have to be securely lashed tothe bomb supporting means for many purposes. It is sufficient that thebomb rest in position on the bomb supporting means under its own weight.

A further disadvantage of previous bomb loading de- J vices was that itwas difficult to load the bomb onto the bomb loading device. A furtherobject of the preferred embodiment of this invention is to providesimple and convenient means for transferring the bomb onto the bombloading device.

Another disadvantage of previous bomb loading devices was that it wasnecessary to maneuver the entire carriage to make minor adjustments tothe position of the bomb so that it would be received by the structureonto which it was being loaded. A further object of this invention, inaccordance with its preferred embodiment, is to provide for adjustmentsof the bomb supporting means in any horizontal direction. Preferably,provision is also included for tilting movement and rotary movement ofthe bomb about a vertical axis to provide a maximum flexibility ofadjustment without it being necessary to move the main carriage.

The manner in which these objects are accomplished, in accordance withthis invention, will be apparent from the detailed description whichfollows and from the appended claims.

In the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of thisinvention:

Figure l is an elevation view of the bomb loading device.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Figure 1;

in Figure 2 the loading boom and its supporting structure have beenomitted for clarity of illustration.

Figure 3 is a detailed perspective view partially broken away of thebomb supporting platform and its mountings.

Figure 4 illustrates a general purpose maintenance platform which can bemounted on the bomb supporting means.

Figure 5 is a detailed sectional elevation of part of drums 75 and 76.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the bomb loadingdevice comprises a wheeled carrier which includes front plate It beneathwhich front wheel 11 is mounted by fork 12. Fork 12 is pivotally mountedbeneath plate It) by pin 13. A draw bar 14 is attached to fork 12 forsteering the device. The supporting frame members 15 for front platehave rearwardly and downwardly angled portions 16 secured to framemembers 17. Frame members and 17 are also connected by members 18. Aplate 19 is mounted on the portion of frame members 17 beneath members15 to provide a mounting for hydraulic motor 20. Frame members 17diverge rearwardly to provide a broad wheel base for the rear wheels,and are connected together at the rearward portion of the device bytransverse frame members 21, 22 and 23. Wheels 24 are mounted on shaft25 at the rearward end of the device. If desired, stabilizer arms 26 canbe provided. These can conveniently be pivotally mounted on flanges 27,which extend laterally from frame members 16 and 17 respectively. Thestabilizing members 26 include a stabilizing head 28, an arm 29 ofconstant length, and an arm 30 the length of which is adjustable by themanipulation of turnbuckle 31. Turnbuckle 31 enables the stabilizingarms to be adjusted with head 28 bearing on the ground and with thestabilizing arms spread into the outwardly diverging position shown inFigure 2. The stabilizing arms provide a useful safety feature if aheavy load is to be raised when the device is on inclined ground, or ifthe device is to be used on board ship. The stabilizing arms can befolded inwardly to the position shown in Figure 1.

Suitable brakes 32, which are shown only in Figure 1, can be provided tobear on rear wheels 24.

Supporting plates 33 are mounted on each of frame members 16 to providemountings for the lifting arms. Upper lifting arm 34, which is shown asbeing a channel shaped member, is pivotally mounted on plate 33 at 35,and extends rearwardly to a pivotal connection at 36 with the mountingbase 37 for the bomb carrying platform. A lower lifting arm 38 ispivotally mounted on plate 33 by pin 39, and is pivotally connected tomounting base 37 by pin 40. The pivot points provided by pins 35, 36, 40and 39 are arranged in the form of a parallelogram so that, as thelifting arms are raised, the mounting base 37 and consequently theplatform mounted on it will remain at a constant angle of inclination tothe ground. Platform 41 is mounted on mounting base 40, and bomb holdingmeans are provided on platform 41 by rollers 42, which are carriedbetween plates 43 and which are rectangularly disposed so that the bombwill be received between the rollers. Plates 43 are secured totransverse members 44, which in turn are bolted by bolts 45 totransverse members 46 of the platform.

Upper lifting arm 34 has a crank-like extension 47, the end of which isconnected to link 48. The links 48 on each side of the device areconnected by cross head 49. Hydraulic cylinder 5% is energized by motor20 and acts to pivot arms 47 rearwardly, causing lifting arms 34 to beraised. Lifting arm 38 is automatically raised with lifting arms 34.

A supporting frame consisting of upright members 51 and 52, transversemember 53, and braces 54, is mounted on frame members 15 at the forwardend of the device.

3 A lifting boom 55, which comprises members 56 and 57 connected bybracing member 58 and plate 59, is pivotally connected to the upper endof member 51 by a quickrelease pin 613. At the head portion 61 of thelifting boom there is a pulley 62, over which passes a chain 63 carryinga book 64. A suitable winch 65 controls the length of chain 63 to raiseand lower lifting means 64. The winch 65 which has been illustrated is amanually operated winch, but the winch can also be power operated. Ahydraulic cylinder 66 is connected to pin 35 and to the lifting boom byquick release pin 67. Cylinder 66 is energized from motor 20 to raisethe lifting boom. It will be noted from Figure 1 that when the liftingboom is in a lowered, substantially horizontal position its head extendsbeyond platform 41 and is disposed rearwardly of the end of the device.When the lifting boom is raised it can be lifted to a position in whichits head is inwardly disposed with respect to the bomb supportingplatform. This structure enables a simple, inextensible boom of the typeillustrated to be used to transfer a bomb from the ground onto the bombsupporting platform. The lifting boom can then be raised to a positionin which it normally will not interfere with the loading: operation, or,in some circumstances, it may be desirable to remove the lifting boom.The lifting boom is biased in the same ver- Figure 3 shows the detailsof the platform and mount- 1 ing base structure. A threaded adjustmentmember 68 is mounted by collars 69 and 70 in a transverse member 71,which connects the ends of lower lifting arms 38. The threaded portion72 of member 68 threadably engages a flange 7 3, which is shownpartially broken away and which is part of mounting base 37. Pin 40 ismounted on flange 73. Accordingly, rotation of adjustment member 68changes the position of pivot pin 46 with respect to lift ing arm 38a,causing the platform to be tilted. Member 38 is slotted to receive pin40. Adjustment members 68 can be used to set a desired angle ofinclination of platform 41 with respect to the horizontal before thebomb is lifted, or, alternatively, it can be used to make minoradjustments to the inclination of the bomb when it has been raised intoposition.

Rotary movement of the platform is obtained by mounting the base plate74 of the platform on a drum 75, which engages with a corresponding drum7 6 mounted on mounting base 37. If desired, a roller bearing 75a can beprovided between drums 75 and 76 (as is shown in Figure 5 i The drumscan be retained by friction, or, if desired, locking means (not shown)can be used to lock the drums with respect to each other. The inclusionof provision for rotary movement of the platform is an important anduseful adjunct, as it would be insuflicient'for complete flexibility ofadjustment to provide for movement of the platform in any horizontaldirection. The direction of the longitudinal axis of the bomb is also animportant factor in correctly positioning the bomb.

A side frame 77, consisting of parallel channel-shaped members 78 andconnecting members 79, is mounted on base plate 74 for slidabletransverse movement by rollers 80 and flanges 81. Flanges 81 have aportion secured to members 78 and a portion 82 which locks under baseplate 74. A control member for transverse movement 33 is journalled inframe member 78 and fitted with a pinion 84 which meshes with a rack 85mounted on base plate 74. Hence rotation of control member 83 will causethe side frame to move transversely with respect to base plate 74. A topplate 86 is slidably mounted on side frame 77 by flanges 87, which havea portion 88 secured to end pieces 79 and a portion 89 overlapping; topplate 86. A control member 90 threadably engages a block 91 which,

is secured to channel-shaped members 78. The end of control member 90 isjournalled in a block 92 which is secured to top plate 86. Rotation ofthe control member for longitudinal movement 90 thus moves top plate 86forwardly or rearwardly with respect to the side frame. Transversemembers 46 for supporting the bomb holding means are mounted on plate86.

Figure 4 illustrates that, if desired, a maintenance platform 93 canconveniently be mounted on the bomb supporting platform. The maintenanceplatform shown includes a base member 94, upright members 95, transversemembers 96, connecting the upper portions of upright members 95. One ormore of transverse members 96 is preferably pivotally mounted as shownat 97 and releasably connected as shown at 98 to provide a gate.Platform 94 has a quick release connection 99 to a chock assembly 100.The chock assembly includes U-shaped members 101, the bases of which areadapted to rest on rollers 42, and quick release connection 102 toplates 43.

I claim:

1. A device for loading bombs or the like comprising a wheeled carrier,and means mounted on said carrier for carrying and elevating a bombincluding a platform, means on said platform for holding a bomb, amounting base on said platform, a first lifting arm pivotally secured tosaid mounting base and to said wheeled carrier, a second lifting armextending below the first lifting arm and being pivotally secured tosaid mounting base and to said wheeled carrier, the pivotal connectionsof said lifting arms with the carrier and the mounting base respectivelybeing substantially in the form of a parallelogram to retain theplatform at a substantially constant angle with respect to thehorizontal at various angles of inclination of the lifting arms, andmeans acting between the carrier and at least one of the lifting arms toelevate and lower said platform, a lifting boom of constant lengthhaving a lifting means at its head pivotally mounted on said carrier formovement between a substantially horizontal position in which the headof the lifting boom extends to a position outside the end of the carrierand said platform, and a raised position in which the head of thelifting boom is inwardly disposed with respect to said platform, meansfor raising and lowering the lifting means from the head of the boom,and means for elevating and lowering said lifting boom.

2. A device for loading bombs or the like as in claim 1 in which themeans for elevating and lowering said lift ing boom comprises hydraulicmeans acting between said lifting boom and said carrier for movement ofsaid lifting boom independent of the movement of said lifting arms.

3. A device as in claim 1 in which the lifting boom and lifting arms aremovable in the same vertical plane.

4. A device as in claim 1 in which means are provided for moving saidmeans for holding a bomb in any horizontal direction relative to saidmounting base, for ad justing the direction of the longitudinal axis ofa bomb mounted on said means for holding a bomb and for adpusting thetilt of the longitudinal axis of said bomb in the plane of movement ofsaid lifting arms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,189,010 Lewis Feb. 6, 1940 2,445,614 Flynn et al July 20, 19482,454,840 Ryan Nov. 30, 1948 2,506,242 Shoemaker May 2, 1950 2,523,734Stevenson et al Sept. 26, 1950 2,613,822 Stanley Oct. 14, 1952 2,706,052Trautman Apr. 12, 1955 2,727,639 Ball et al Dec. 20, 1955 2,785,807Prowinsky Mar. 19, 1957

